February 16, 2008 In anticipation of the upcoming Olympics, horror movies are now officially banned in China. This is apparently so that no tourists will be offended when they are visiting the country for the 2008 Olympics.

In a statement posted on the official Web site of the General Administration of Press and Publications, film producers have been told that they have three weeks look through their tapes for "horror" and report it to authorities.

What does the administration define as "horror"? Anything that includes "wronged spirits and violent ghosts, monsters, demons, and other inhuman portrayals, strange and supernatural storytelling for the sole purpose of seeking terror and horror."

The new guidelines have been set to "control and cleanse the negative effect these items have on society, and to prevent horror, violent, cruel publications from entering the market through official channels and to protect adolescents' psychological health."

Source: Reuters.

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